I may be a couple hours late, but damn it, it's Saturday still where I live and I have updated! Ha!
Short chapter this week around, folks, and there is a reason; I have a fun scene planned, but it would have made the current chapter run far too long, so I compensated by amusing myself with Chu and Jin. I'm still not entirely comfortable or confident as to Chu's character, but as long as I can picture the voice in my head I think I'll be okay. Rinku, on the other hand, is almost too easy and too much fun. The boy is a sass; in season three, there's a scene when he puts Jin and Chu both down pretty hard at the Dark Tournament. Jin, Touya, Chu, and Rinku are all like that, actually. When Touya comments "Nice one, Rinku" Jin shoots a comeback that burns pretty badly, right at his own teammate. They're all trash-talkers, but Rinku can be downright cold sometimes. I tried to remember that entire scene when writing some of mine today. I think it came out well.
A huge thanks to all my readers and reviewers for your continued support and feedback. It really helps me keep going knowing that someone out there is reading. I love hearing what you think of my chapters, my characters, and the way I portray the cannon characters that I use. Let me know! Every review in my inbox makes me smile that much more!
Anyway, there's not much else to say beyond that. Short chapter this week in favor of something fun next week. So let's go!
There were some days when Mana was really, really thankful for the existence of bleach. This was definitely one of those days. Sighing, the girl examined the grass stain on the side of her denim skirt. She should just start wearing white at this rate; even when she missed Jin entirely she seemed to be loosing her balance. She thought it was the fact that he never stopped talking; he was throwing her off. Or maybe it was the fact that he just seemed to know which way she was coming from. She sighed, flicking at the grass with one finger. She still hadn't gotten that other butterfly.
The next thing she was aware of was the can of tea being dangled in front of her face. She stared at it a moment before reaching up to take it. Jin grinned at her. "Ya looked like ya could use somethin' cold. Yer getting' better out there."
She stared at the circle of grass that they'd managed to tramp flat with two and a half days of training. Jin had called for a break when she'd thrown her staff at him; she had been close, so close, and he had shot up into the air at the last moment. He'd apologized, promising not to do it again, but she'd still give him the silent treatment. As such, she took the can without a word, only speaking once she'd gotten a good look at it and using as little speech as she could. "Thanks."
He smiled brightly as he set next to her... a good six inches off the ground. She could actually feel the breeze coming from around him. "See, this'll make ya feel a bit better, won't it?" Mana scowled lightly as she tried to pry the can open, only to find herself almost knocked onto her side as Jin prodded her in the side. "Hey, now, don't go givin' a guy the cold shoulder that easily. It isn't right of ya."
She scowled at him. "You cheated."
The redhead cringed. "Yeah, I'm sorry bout that. Force of habit, ya know? But Mana, yer gettin' better at this..."
She allowed herself to at least give him a look of reproach. "You still cheated."
The apparition sighed. "Fine, then. Ya want the butterfly now, ya can have it."
The blonde shook her head as he reached into his pocket. "Nope. I haven't earned it yet. You might still have gotten away, so I can't take the clip."
"Oh, now yer just bein' difficult." Jin gave her another poke in the side and then, to her dismay, slung an arm over her shoulders. "Come on, yer just doin' this to be down. Don't be like that!"
"Fine. If I drink the tea, will you let go of me?"
There was a sigh and then- and she knew it was coming- a pat on her head. "Mana, ya really need to learn how to deal with people better."
She quickly took a drink. It would be better if she didn't comment on that one at all...
An hour later, they still weren't making much progress in the training. Mana bounced lightly on the balls of her feet, shifting just enough to keep herself moving. Jin, meanwhile, was about two inches off the ground, his own little alternative to the constant motion that supposedly made her harder to outguess. The human girl shifted lightly. So far trying to side-step him or get around him had gotten her nowhere; he would already be waiting to meet her blows before she'd even gotten to him. The best results had come from straight-on charge attacks. Granted, the best so far had been fairly mediocre, but it was still worth trying...
The interruption came when she was half-way to her 'opponent' across the way. "Little sheila's not gonna hit anything if she keeps moving like that."
Mana practically tripped in her surprise; Jin caught her easily with one arm. "Chu! Ya decided to show up on us!"
The giant of a man stepped out of the trees, taking a pull from the massive bottle in his hands; Mana didn't want to believe that anyone could consume that much sake without passing out. Once he'd had his drink he pointed at her with the same hand that was holding the bottle. "Now see, the problem I'm seeing here is that your little lady friend is doing her thinking well enough on her feet, but her feet aren't keeping up with her head, am I right?" He slurred heavily, the 'am I right' statement almost coming out as one word. "Your gonna need better moves than that if you're going to keep up with the likes of Jin. I've been there my self, bugger gets behind you before you even realize he's not in front of you any more. You gotta learn to do the same to him."
"I... see." She forced herself to look him in the eye, not the bottle, before questioning him hesitantly. "How much have you had to drink this morning?"
"I don't right know, to be honest with you. But that's not what we're talking about here, is it?" He shook the finger at her. "What we're talking about is having the right moves. You got a good start, but you're not quite there yet."
Mana looked up at Jin, trying to decide if she should ask if this person was sane or not. To her surprise, the redhead was smiling. "Ya know, Mana, biggie here does have a good point. Chu, why don't we have a go at it, give her a chance to sit down? Ya know ya don't do too well at explainin' things by words, so we might as well." The man with the massive mohawk tilted his head as Jin went on. "Looser buys the winner a round later on, what do ya say to that?"
"Now that's what I like to hear!" It was all the girl could do not to cringe; the man was loud! "That's what I like about you, you always have ideas!"
The redhead patted her on the shoulder. "Ya go ahead and sit down for this one. I'd make sure to sit back kind of far, meself. This could get a little bit crazy." His ears were twitching as she ran to the edge of the circle. "Ahright, then, Chu, let's see if yer any better than the last time we had a scrap!"
To her amazement, the drunken behemoth managed not only to get across the distance between himself and Jin without falling onto his face, but with a strange sort of fluidity that Mana honestly couldn't keep track of. He weaved, not in an unsteady way but with an almost cat-like sense of liquid purpose, as though- the thought came into her head unbidden- as though channeling the contents of the bottle in his hands. But Jin wasn't idly waiting, either; by the time the crested fighter had reached him there was a small whirlwind whipping through the grass as Jin lifted off the ground. His fighting stance was loose, casual, easygoing... and allowed him to strike in virtually any direction he pleased, she saw quickly. She blinked, and in that moment Chu managed to get behind her friend, only to be fended off with a well-placed kick. "Ya been stewin' in it again, biggie? I can smell ya off a mile away!"
There was a roar of laughter from Chu as he struck for Jin's head, only to be blocked by a raised leg. The blonde felt her face burn; Jin had been going easy on her. "That's right, keep it coming! I hope you remember how to run your fists as well as your mouth!"
"Hey, lady, you might want to try sitting back a bit farther." Mana blinked, looking up. Rinku was standing there, out of nowhere. "When these two get going, it's best to just clear out entirely."
"Of course..."
The way the boy was looking at her was unnerving, but not nearly as bad as when he opened his mouth again. "I don't get it. What's supposed to be so special about you, anyway? You look like a normal girl to me."
Hadn't anyone ever taught this child anything about manners? Probably not, Mana realized with a huff. "I don't recall anyone ever saying there was anything special about me, thanks."
The boy's movements were distracting her from the fight; Rinku had bent over double, hands resting on the ground, and now pulled his legs up, turning to face her in a handstand. "Jin must think so, though. Otherwise he wouldn't keep coming back here. Are you some kind of witch or something?"
She had to fight to keep herself from twitching. "No, I'm not a witch." He definitely knew nothing of manners. The boy lifted one hand off the ground, balancing on one arm. "I'm training to be a spirit detective someday."
"You?" He gave her a critical look. "Yeah, right. Keep dreaming, lady."
Mana gritted her teeth, forcing herself to focus on the fighting. Being drunk didn't seem to hinder the behemoth Chu at all; if anything, he seemed to be getting faster and more nimble on his feet. But Jin... she felt a small shiver as the man who talked to the wind found an opening; she could actually hear a popping sound as the redhead's fist snapped Chu's head back. The giant staggered, shaking himself. "Come on, now, that's not right! Are you trying to take my whole head off there?"
"It's yer own fault for forgettin' to leave it protected!" Jin was grinning. "Face it, biggie, yer not gonna get the jump on me this time! I've got the air goin' for me here! Chu only took another draw from his bottle; Mana suspected he must have drained a quarter of it in one pull from how long he took. Jin actually started to look worried. "Hey, ya best not be thinkin' yer gonna be clubbin' me with that. Took a week to get all the glass outta me hair the last time, I'm not fallin' for that again!"
Chu looked at the bottle, actually peering into it with one eye. "Nah. That'd be a right sorry waste of what's left, I'm thinking..."
The redhead broke into a wide grin. "Ya say that, but half the time yer so far gone I swear ya don't even taste what yer drinkin'. I say that's the real waste!"
"And I think it's wasted on both of you." Mana felt a twinge of annoyance at the way these demons just appeared as they wished, but truth be told she had been wondering when Suzuka would show back up. The blonde apparition bowed low, holding out the cylinder he'd taken back with him. "I believe I have it stabilized."
Repressing a large sigh, Mana reached over to take the device. The first thing she noticed was the button about an inch from one end of it. Pushing it did nothing. "It still needs my energy, right?"
There was a nod. "The buttons do absolutely nothing except showing you where the triggers for the different functions are. Go ahead, try it out."
She let the sigh out as she got to her feet. Now Jin and Chu had both forgotten their match in favor of watching her efforts with the tricky weapon. Stepping away from the trees, she tried letting just a little energy out; there was that usual snap-hiss she remembered, and in a moment she was holding a full staff. "Okay, that works."
"Good. Now do you see the buttons midway between the center and either end?" Mana nodded; each pair of buttons was about three inches apart, located right where he said. "Each blade is triggered by the inner button. Do you see how each pair faces a different direction? The blade will come out from that direction."
Mana gave one of them a try. "Last time they both popped out at once."
Suzuka looked edgy for the first time. "Well, technically that never was supposed to be how they functioned. I assure you, the application is flawless now..."
Mana pulled her hand away from the button; to her surprise, the blade remained extended. "How do I close them in?"
"A second energy pulse through the trigger should do that. That way, they won't collapse when you shift how you hold the staff. I noticed last time that you do move them between your hands a lot." Mana gave the button a second 'tap' and watched the blade click back into place. "Now give the end buttons a try, if you would."
"Of course..." Hesitating, Mana finally clicked down on one of the final points. A flame roughly the size of her own fist shot out of the corresponding end. Suzuka beamed.
"Sometimes the blades might not be enough to drive an enemy away. That's a little added protection for when things get rough. It's an effective method of defense as well as being a good offensive element. Even some of the most fire-resistant apparitions won't appreciate a good blow to the eyes." The healer nodded slowly. It did make a lot of sense, and the more tricks she had, the better. "So, do you think this is acceptable for now?"
"Ah..." She frowned lightly, trying to un-ignite it; it took a few tries for the flame to go out. The staff alone was lightweight enough that she could swing it easily, and about the same diameter as the bo staff she used for practice. It was smooth, but not enough so that it slipped from her grip. And it could fit in a pocket, she reflected quietly. It could be slipped into her school bag or her purse, too. Finally, Mana allowed herself to nod. "It seems perfect. It sounds like exactly what I need."
Right away she wondered if that was the right thing to say; the inventor almost seemed to swell up in front of her. "Why don't you take a day or two to try it out, then? Get a feel for it, so to speak?"
She nodded, observing out of the corner of one eye that Chu appeared to be threatening Jin with the bottle again and Rinku had vanished. A quick glance found the boy hanging from a tree branch from his legs. Mana did her best to ignore him, trying instead to figure out how to un-extend the staff. A second energy charge over the button didn't seem to be doing it. Withdrawing her energy completely seemed to be the only method of making the weapon collapse back down. Handy, she decided. "I'll definitely be trying it out."
"Good." He sounded almost a little too please. "I'm looking forward to learning your technique."
Mana sighed. Of course...
Mana was starting to show signs of fatigue. Jin frowned, watching her move around her kitchen that evening. This made the third day that they'd worked together, and she'd been making some progress, getting that much closer to hitting him, but she was also starting to push herself more. It was starting to take a toll on her energy levels, and he didn't like that. The girl looked tired as she handed him a plate and set next to him on the couch. "It's just simple tonight. I hope you don't mind."
He nodded, although honestly he would have liked it better without the rice. "Yer gettin' quicker at readin' me out there, Mana. Yer good at learnin' how an opponent moves."
The look the girl gave him was sullen. "Even when they're holding back?"
"Em..." Drat, he had been hoping she wouldn't bring that up. "Yeah, I'd say even then..."
Now she just looked miserable. "You're even faster when you're not holding back. I wouldn't stand a chance at hitting you if you were actually trying." She actually stabbed at a piece of fish with her chopsticks. "I'm still going to do it."
He actually felt relieved. "Atta girl, that's just the attitude ya need." Now her hair looked like it needed patting. He obliged, avoiding the butterfly clip as best as he could; it was hanging loosely to one side now, doing little to actually hold her hair back. To his surprise, she didn't so much as cast an ill glance his way. Well, that was an improvement, at least! "And just think, now that ya have that staff ya won't have to give up on wot ya want to do."
Finally, her soft scowl became less definitive. She didn't seem happy yet, but she didn't seem as unhappy, either. "Jin, are most demons in the Makai as strong as you are?"
Well, that was a fun question. He thought about it a minute, trying to decide how it could best be answered. "Most of 'em, no, they're not. Most demons lack a lot, either in power or in smarts. At the same time, though, I've heard of fighters who I would probably end up havin' to take a run from just to escape with me life. That's how it is there. Ya could be stronger than everyone ya know and ya might still have to watch yet back. That's why so many survive on cunnin' or relyin' on groups. It's not a nice world for loners." He glanced over at her. "Of course, ya wouldn't probably be worryin' about some of the stronger stuff we've got while yer safe over on this side. Most of the, they can't get through real well. And even the ones that know how have to cut down their own power to do it."
Mana actually started to choke. He patted her back until the coughing settled, at which point she looked up at him with wide eyes. "How big are we talking about that know how to get through the barriers?"
He sighed. "It depends on how smart they are. Common rule for demons is, the stronger ones are usually the smartest, too. I figure there's probably more than just a few on the highest levels who could find a way through if they wanted, but they'd usually need a reason first. This might surprise ya, but I don't think most apparitions worry too much about yer world." He couldn't stop himself from feeling a little wistful . "Most of em, I'd say they don't know wot they're missin'."
The girl ate in silence for several minutes. He let her think, waiting for her to speak on her own. Finally she set her plate down empty and looked up at him. "Why do you like it here so much, Jin?"
He set his own plate down, leaning against the back of the couch. "It's the light," he answered at last. "It's a dark world over there, Mana. We've got no sun to warm our sky, not like ya got here. The sky is red, reminds me of blood, it does. Even your darkest storm clouds make ours look friendly. There's a lot of shadow, and as one of the shinobi I was always movin' through the worst of it. Ya kind of start to wonder what it's like outside of the dark, livin' like that."
There was a slight nod from the girl. "It must feel very lonely."
The wind master stared. Had she ever used that word before on her own, without any prompting from him? "It can be, if ya don't have anyone to talk to. Usually I had Touy around with me, that was mostly wot kept me from tryin' to skip out years ago. The same old thing over and over gets borin' for me, I don't do well with it real long." He looked down at her. "How about ya, does it get lonely bein' on yer own in this apartment all the time?"
She got up from the couch then, walking over to look out the balcony doors. Her reply was so soft he almost didn't hear it. "It never used to be a problem."
He just smiled at her turned back. "Glad I could help, Mana."
"You have a strange definition of help."
He chuckled and walked over to peer outside with her. "Lot of stars out there tonight, aren't there? Me mother, she knew the names of the stars in this world. I can't remember any of them meself, though. It's been too long."
The girl looked up at the sky. "I don't know the stars, but I know some of the Greek constellations. My mother taught them to me, so I know them better than the Japanese ones." She pulled open the door, stepping outside. Curious, he followed her. "You see that?"
He followed the raised hand and the pointing finger, looking upwards. "I see a lot of thats, which one do ya mean?"
"It looks almost like a bowl shape. Look straight up from the building across the street." He nodded once he was fairly sure he'd found what she was pointing at. "If you follow those two stars there, on the end of the dipper, you find the north star. That's the one sailors used to use to find their way." She looked over at him sheepishly. "I only really know a couple of stars after that, and that's it. I guess I don't remember much, either."
He laughed quietly, ruffling her bangs. "Well, don't ya be worryin' about it any. Ya got plenty of time for lookin' at the stars." She nodded, probably more to pull away from his hand than anything. "Tomorrow's a new day, so I say we get a fresh start then and see wot happens. Who knows, ya might get yer clip yet."
There was another small nod. "Alright." The girl's eyes were far away, no longer cast towards the stars but towards the lights on the street below. Jin watched her expression, bemused. Funny, for a moment there it almost looked like she was smiling...
